Clearly, the “blockbuster deal” made between Milwaukee and Portand to bring Damian Lillard to Wisconsin is the consequence of pressure from Giannis Antetokounmpo towards his frankness. In recent weeks, the “Greek Freak” had said several times that he would not last forever in Milwaukee if the leaders did not do their utmost to offer him a team capable of playing for the title every year.
On the other hand, to achieve their ends, the Bucks front office would not have solicited Giannis Antetokounmpo during the negotiations which ultimately resulted in the arrival of “Dame Time” but also the departure of Jrue Holiday. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, it is precisely the presence of the Bucks leader in the deal which would have encouraged the managers not to probe their best player, so as not to place the weight of such a choice on their shoulders. Jrue Holiday played an essential role in winning the NBA championship in 2021, and he is capable of raising his level of play when there are absentees, like last season.
Remove all responsibility from Giannis
“Directly, he played no role,” reported “Woj”. “In fact, Jon Horst (the GM) did not propose this trade idea to Giannis Antetokounmpo and submit it for his approval because Jrue Holiday was involved. “Given the relationship and admiration that this organization and these players have for Holiday, they didn’t want to submit this idea to Giannis Antetokounmpo and make him aware that he might have to approve it or not.”
We do not know if this version of the facts is real, but it seems that nothing is filtered since the day before his transfer, Jrue Holiday explained that he wanted to play the rest of his career with the Bucks… Furthermore, we do not know still not what Giannis thinks and his analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of both sides of the floor following the departures of Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2013-14 | MIL | 77 | 25 | 41.4 | 34.7 | 68.3 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 6.8 |
| 2014-15 | MIL | 81 | 31 | 49.1 | 15.9 | 74.1 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 12.7 |
| 2015-16 | MIL | 80 | 35 | 50.6 | 25.7 | 72.4 | 1.4 | 6.2 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 16.9 |
| 2016-17 | MIL | 80 | 36 | 52.1 | 27.2 | 77.0 | 1.8 | 7.0 | 8.8 | 5.4 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 22.9 |
| 2017-18 | MIL | 75 | 37 | 52.9 | 30.7 | 76.0 | 2.1 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 26.9 |
| 2018-19 ★ | MIL | 72 | 33 | 57.8 | 25.6 | 72.9 | 2.2 | 10.3 | 12.5 | 5.9 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 27.7 |
| 2019-20 ★ | MIL | 63 | 30 | 55.3 | 30.4 | 63.3 | 2.2 | 11.4 | 13.6 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 29.5 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 61 | 33 | 56.9 | 30.3 | 68.5 | 1.6 | 9.4 | 11.0 | 5.9 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 28.2 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 67 | 33 | 55.3 | 29.3 | 72.2 | 2.0 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 5.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 29.9 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 63 | 32 | 55.3 | 27.5 | 64.5 | 2.2 | 9.6 | 11.8 | 5.7 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 31.1 |
| Total | 719 | 33 | 53.7 | 28.7 | 70.8 | 1.8 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 22.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
